Action Alerts

Ask Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to abandon aerial wolf-killing in Idaho by State and Federal Wildlife Services.
In one of its first moves since retaking the reins of wolf management, Idaho officials called in the Agriculture Department’s Wildlife Services — the federal government’s chief wildlife-killing agency — to kill wolves in the central part of the state.
Using radio collars to track down wolf packs in the area, the airborne marksmen only managed to kill five wolves. The mission was quickly abandoned, described as both inefficient and expensive by the Wildlife Services agents themselves.
But Wildlife Services could continue gunning from the skies and trapping on the ground to artificially boost game populations in the region.

Tell Smithsonian to Suspend Researcher Charged with Cat Cruelty
According to ABC News and the Washington Post, a researcher at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center was observed via video surveillance attempting to poison cats in Washington, DC, and charged with attempted animal cruelty.
The researcher—Dr. Nico Dauphine—now faces up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted on charges of animal cruelty.
All animals deserve to be protected from cruelty, and intentionally harmful acts like poisoning are illegal.
Join us in calling for the Smithsonian to suspend Dr. Dauphine until the case is resolved.
Contact:

Judge dismisses lawsuit against the Woodland Park Zoo regarding ill treatment of elephants, cites technicality
The judge granted the City and Zoo’s motion to dismiss the case because the group had no standing to sue the city, and there was nothing illegal about the city’s funding of the zoo. “As Judge Heavy ruled from the bench, he twice stated his personal belief that the zoo’s elephant exhibit is objectionable, stating at one point, “…to confine animals in small habitats, take away their freedom in grossly confined spaces, outweighs children seeing (wild and rare) animals,”

Test-Tube Burgers
In 1999, van Eelen received U.S. and international patents for the Industrial Production of Meat Using Cell Culture Methods. A new discipline, propelled by an unlikely combination of stem-cell biologists, tissue engineers, animal-rights activists, and environmentalists, has emerged in both Europe and the U.S. Teams are forming at universities around the world
also seeBurgers From A Lab: The World Of In Vitro Meat

Meat Industry Recruits ‘Masters of Beef Advocacy’ To Promote Meat Eating
The national beef industry has enlisted college students across the country in its public relations fight for America’s hearts, minds and stomachs. The Masters of Beef Advocacy program also recruits farmers, ranchers, high-end chefs and school dietitians to spread the gospel of red meat consumption.

After food scandals, growing number of Chinese reject meat for vegetarianism
When Song Yidan, a master’s student in Chinese culture from Beijing, decided to become a vegetarian last November, her friends and family did everything they could to dissuade her…A belief that consuming meat means eating well runs deep in China, which struggled to feed itself throughout much of its history and where many followed a largely vegetarian diet because they could not afford meat.

Oregon Senate Approves Larger Cages For Hens
The Oregon Senate voted Wednesday to give egg-laying hens more room. The measure would require the three large-scale commercial egg producers in Oregon to phase in larger cages for hens over the next 15 years.

Why Do Vegetarians and Vegans Weigh Less?
This is the first year ever that the USDA has embraced a vegetarian diet. In its 2010 dietary pyramid, the USDA gave vegetarianism an outright endorsement saying in addition to improved heart health, a vegetarian diet was associated with lower rates of obesity.

Red meat raises, fiber lowers colorectal cancer risk
A report released this morning by an international team of researchers says there’s convincing evidence that eating too much red meat and processed meat raises colorectal cancer risk and that consuming plenty of fiber in the form of plant-based foods reduces that risk.

Senate passes stronger penalties for cockfighting
State legislators voted in support of two bills in the past week to curb cockfighting, an ancient blood sport animal rights advocates say is thriving in California because current laws aren’t tough enough. “The type of elements that this activity draws is dangerous to the community,” said Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, who proposed two bills this year that would increase penalties for cockfighting.

Animal abuse registry passes Senate
A bill to create an animal abuse database in Texas passed the Senate Tuesday night 25-5. However, a last-minute amendment to HB 1103 made sure the database – similar to the state’s sex offender registry – only be available to police. In addition to the registry, animal cruelty offenders must attend a responsible pet owner class. Some people would not be allowed to adopt pets either.

Another Day in the Hawkeye State
Later, I venture alone to a small CAFO nearby and poke around, because there’s no one there. (If the anti-whistleblowing laws being considered by Iowa, Minnesota, and Florida are passed, I could be arrested for the above photo.) Note the wooden slats, which are hosed down so the manure falls under the barn; it stinks.

The tornadoes’ forgotten victims: animals
In Smithville, about 150 homes were destroyed, so it’s possible that the same number of animals were displaced. That figure doesn’t include livestock. Rescue workers so far have retrieved about two dozen cats and dogs from the debris and sent them either to the Amory Animal Hospital for treatment or directly to the shelter.

Pacific Nearshore Project uses sea otters as barometer
More than two dozen marine researchers — including seven from the Alaska Science Center — are at sea near Glacier Bay this week studying sea otters for clues about the ecological health of the Pacific coast stretching as far south as California. “Sea otters are the perfect health indicators of our nearshore waters,” James Bodkin.

Ostrich flu spreadsMore ostriches on seven farms in the Klein Karoo valley in the Western Cape are to be culled after the areas tested positive for avian influenza. “Ostriches on those farms are also going to be culled by way of controlled slaughter in the abattoir,” the agriculture department said on Tuesday…”A total of 10,000 ostriches have already been culled in this way during the current outbreak.

The Seattle and Portland Animal Defense Leagues have considerable costs to cover stemming from this past weekend’s activities to Stop the Seattle Fur Exchange! In addition to court costs, they also need to pay for such mundane things as copying fliers, gas, sign making materials, and the like.
Any amount helps!

3 Arrested At Protest Outside Renton Fur Auction
Three people were arrested Friday morning as animal rights protesters blocked entrances at the American Legend Fur Exchange in Renton. “They are using there (sic) bodies as a human blockade,” read a news release from the Seattle Animal Defense League.

Why our testing of antibiotics and other drugs may not be safe
An important factor contributing to the poor safety record of so many drugs, including antibiotics, is our reliance on safety testing in animals. The government insists that all new drugs are shown to be safe in two species of animals before they can be given to humans. However, many studies have shown that animal tests – even in both dogs and monkeys – are no more predictive for humans than tossing a coin.

Pet cruelty registry could help fight against domestic abuse
A registry for animal abusers — the first in the nation according to advocates — goes live in New York’s Suffolk County next week. Not just an effort to protect animals, the registry is the result of growing awareness that brutality against a dog, cat or even a squirrel is a chief indicator of potential violence against women and children, according to experts and studies.

Agony for Japan livestock farmers in nuclear crisis
As more people are forced to leave their homes around the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, anger is growing in a farming community forced to make the agonising decision whether to slaughter livestock or face ruin…livestock farmers are not the only villagers who are feeling the bite. Yuko Sugimoto, 56, who ran cottages in Namie, another village newly designated as part of the no-go zone, had planned to raise and sell organic vegetables this year.

CEO and President of American Legend: Joseph “Joe” Morelli- (503)816-6132 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting(503)816-6132end_of_the_skype_highlighting jmorelli@americanlegend.com

Trustee: William Kenney- wmkenney@americanlegend.com

Vice President: Kurt Essman- kessman@americanlegend.com

Vice President-Sales: Dale Theisen- dtheisen@americanlegend.com

Director of Finance and Administration: David Larsen-

dlarsen@americanlegend.com

Graphic Designer: Sandra Wallace- swallace@americanlegend.com

Assistant to Vice President: Debbie Kerr- dkerr@americanlegend.com

General Manager: Carol Frank- cfrank@americanlegend.com

Director-Finance: Anne Daffern- adaffern@gmail.com

Director-Auctions: Reid Dixon- rdixon@americanlegend.com

Director- IT: Scott Wolfe- swolfe@americanlegend.com

Sandra Wallace, Graphic Designer, has these websites:

faithmariedesign.com, artfortytwo.org, sandrafmw.blogspot.com

Important Facebook Accounts:

Joe Morelli, CEO- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1091117418

Carol Stone Frank- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1005334784

Sandra Wallace- http://www.facebook.com/s.Faithmarie

Help Stop the Brutal Practice of Penning Coyotes and Foxes in Indiana
The Indiana Natural Resources Commission (INRC) is considering a proposed rule to legalize the practice of coyote/fox “penning” year-round. Penning involves capturing wild coyotes and foxes and then placing them in pens where they are mercilessly chased by packs of hunting dogs. This practice often leads to the coyote or fox being torn apart alive by the dogs. Penning enthusiasts claim the activity trains the dogs to better pursue and hunt foxes and coyotes in the wild.
Penning involves capturing wild coyotes and foxes and then placing them in pens where they are mercilessly chased by packs of hunting dogs. This practice often leads to the coyote or fox being torn apart alive by the dogs. It is considered a good way to “train” dogs to hunt.ACTION Comments are needed by May 18, 2011!

Tell the Indiana Natural Resources Commission that it should main its prior position and NOT allow penning. Submit comments to the Indiana Natural Resources Commission in opposition to the proposed rules.
To submit a comment online – http://www.in.gov/nrc/2377.htm
Select the “Coyote/Fox – Dog Training Grounds” rule
Click on “Comment on this rule”
Enter the required information in the boxes provided
Politely express your concerns about this issue and that the inherent cruelty and abuse associated with coyote/fox penning cannot be remedied through rules (see sample letter and suggested talking points here)

Wash. bans sale, trade of shark fins
Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed legislation that prohibits the sale, trade or distribution of shark fins or derivative products in the state of Washington.

Cash Cows
Is the Woodland Park Zoo Mistreating Its Elephants?
Chai lives with two other female elephants—Bamboo and Watoto—in the Woodland Park Zoo’s one-acre elephant enclosure, whimsically named the Thai Village. You get there by following the Trail of Vines past the swimming grotto and through the Elephant Forest. But the exhibit isn’t as idyllic as its Candy Land–ish name portends: The enclosure consists of grubby fields, a concrete pool, and the Elephant Barn, where Chai, Bamboo, and Watoto hide out when temperatures dip below 40 degrees.

Seoul Tells Fendi No Fur On The Cat Walk
South Korea’s capital city has told Italian fashion house Fendi to remove all fur items from a show of its Fall/Winter collection due to complaints from animal rights groups, officials said Monday.

Meat Without Slaughter
Michael Specter provides a fresh look at the prospect of growing meat in labs instead of feed lots and pastures. Specter acknowledges there is “ghoulish” aspect to “lab meat,” but notes that industrial-scale livestock husbandry is ghoulish, as well.

Documentary argues virtues of a vegan diet
Despite the educational tone of the film, it’s not as dry as it sounds. Bolstered by two American doctors’ decades of separate research, “Forks Over Knives’’ offers compelling evidence that a diet heavy in animal protein and dairy leads to an increase in heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other severe illnesses. The film delivers a concise history of Western eating habits, with graphs and charts punctuated by entertaining real-life experiences.

Alarm Over Rural Veterinarian Shortage
Today, more than 1,500 counties in the U.S. are without a single veterinarian to treat animals, estimated by the AVMA. That amounts to 44 states with at least one shortage area, designated annually by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The shortage is most acute in states with the most food-producing animals, such as cows, chickens and pigs.

Agrichemicals cause problems for animals
Decades of using agricultural chemicals and pesticides has created a toxic legacy for animals. “The alarming thing is that exposure to just miniscule amounts of agrichemicals can affect the capacity of animals and people to reproduce and develop normally,” he said in a statement ahead of his presentation.

Japan to cull livestock in nuclear zone
Japan will start culling thousands of cattle and other livestock in the 20km evacuation zone around its stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, the government said. More than 10,000 cows — once the pride of Fukushima prefecture, prized for their marbled beef and rich milk — were left behind in the scramble to escape, many of them locked in sheds where they starved to death, farmers have said.

PACs give animals a voice
Animal lovers in Delaware and Maryland have created state Political Action Committees to support candidates who stick up for animals. Other states with animal-friendly PACs include California, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Meat is murder? More like suicide, argues Planeat film
Eating animals and their products is bad for our health and our planet, according to a subtle new polemic…In the end, the argument made is pretty simple. Global population is growing, meaning more mouths to feed, even if the dreadful inadequacies of existing food distribution is overcome. So we need more food, but meat has a very heavy impact on the planet, both directly and via greenhouse gases. So if we all want to sit down to eat without killing ourselves or the planet, we in the west will need to eat less meat and dairy.

The Dogs of War: Beloved Comrades in Afghanistan
The classified canine that went on the Navy Seals’ raid of Osama bin Laden’s compound last week has generated a wave of interest in military dogs, which have been used by the United States since at least World War I. Now, more valued than ever, they are on their own surge into Afghanistan.

Help End Animals’ Show Business “Careers”
Video released May 7, 2011, by Animal Defenders International shows the elephant that appears alongside Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson in the new film Water for Elephants, being beaten and electric-shocked during training.What You Can Do
* Please contact ADI today and find out how you can speak up for Tai and all animals being abused in the entertainment industry. If you live in the UK, please contact info@ad-international.org and/or if you live in the U.S. please contact usa@ad-international.org and ask for a Water for Elephants Letter Writing Pack.
* Boycott this film and tell your family and friends to take a stand against animal cruelty by only supporting films without animal actors.
* Leaflet moviegoers at a theater near you to educate them about the abuse of Tai and other performing animals. Contact ADI to order leaflets.
* Contact your local theater with a copy of the DVD we can provide you, and politely ask them to make the right choice and stop showing the film.
* Contact ADI for a letter writing pack with sample letters to Water for Elephants actors and movie makers, and sample letters to the editor to help you raise your voice for Tai and the other animals abused for entertainment.
* Write a letter to your local paper about Tai’s abuse and educate the public that animal suffering is never romantic and it is never entertainment. (Sample letters available in our letter writing pack.)
* Contact the Director and Producer and politely ask that they make Water for Elephants the last film they will use live animal actors. (Contacts and sample letters available in our letter writing pack.)
* Share the link to the video on your Facebook and other social networking sites, to spread the word to family and friends.

Take Action (Yes, Again) To End the Taiji Slaughter
ACTION
Contact the Japanese Embassy in Washington DC and urge them to stop killing dolphins and whales. Be polite, and urge them to protect Japanese consumers from mercury poisoning from eating dangerous whale and dolphin meat. The government of Japan should immediately pass laws to protect dolphins, porpoises and whales in their waters. By doing so, they would be sending the world a message of compassion.

PLEASE keep in mind that most Japanese do NOT know about the slaughters in Taiji.

Atrazine is one of the world’s most common pesticides: over 80 million pounds of it were used on American crops last year, and it has been in use for 50 years. This harmful pesticide turns male frogs into females at concentrations as low as 2.5 parts per billion. Frogs and humans share half our DNA, so Atrazine can’t be good for humans either. That’s likely why the European Union banned the harmful pesticide in 2004. Tell the EPA to BAN ATRAZINE IMMEDIATELY! Atrazine is the most commonly detected pesticide in rainwater, groundwater and tap water in the USA. It kills ANIMALS…which includes humans.

Calendar

January2019

NARN's board of directors meets monthly to discuss our campaigns and administrative issues. Guests are welcome to attend if we have enough time on our agenda.

If you wish to have an agenda item added to the NARN Board Meeting, please email info@narn.org at least a day in advance. You can also send us a message on Facebook anytime or even the day of the meeting and we'll get back to you. All NARN Board Meetings are held in Seattle.

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by our desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join us in providing free, educational information to the public about the dangers of supporting backyard breeding practices and puppy mills, the importance of spaying and neutering pets, the time and money it takes to responsibly care for a living creature, and the positive effects of screening pet owners through application processes.

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2093159060741059/

Come join us for a delicious brunch at the fabulous Celest Cafe AND write some letters for animals.

NARN provides the stationery, pens, stamps, sample letters, and ideas for what to write -- just bring yourself. You can even bring your laptop if you'd prefer to type or email your letters!

Why letter writing? Letter writing is a simple way to make change for the animals! At our letter writing events, we write for many different reasons: opposition to the creation of new animal laboratories, support for sending animals to sanctuary, promotion of vegan events and issues through letters to the media, and raising the spirits of activists and comrades who have been jailed for their pro-animal and political actions!

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 6pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/512061562622307/

The University of Washington's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) will be meeting to discuss various research protocols (study designs). This is your chance to voice your opinion about the research on animals that goes on at the UW. Please come and speak for the animals!
The meetings are held at the South Campus Center; Room #342 (in between San Juan Road & Columbia Road); behind the Magnuson Health Sciences Center (1925 N.E. Pacific St) )
http://www.washington.edu/maps/

Unfortunately, they frequently re-schedule or cancel their meetings in an attempt to avoid the public, so please call the Public Affairs Office at 206-543-9180 to make sure the meeting is still happening at the given time.
You can also check out their calendar here (copy & paste link into your browser)
http://oaw.washington.edu/iacuc-meeting-schedule/

This month we will be checking out Travelers Thali House. They have tons of vegan options. See their menu here:
http://www.travelersthalihouse.com/Menu102014.html
The Social Discussion Group is a casual event. Drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome, and you don't have to be vegetarian to participate. We hope you'll join us! Questions? Contact rachel[at]narn[dot]org

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/406570843449273/

La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza will be offering a tasty Vegan Tamales Cooking Class in partnership with the Food Empowerment Project! Now is your chance to learn how to make vegan tamales from a master tamalera! The tamales are prepared in the handmade and traditional fashion using cultural ingredients. Sweet sangrias, beer and wine will also be served and is included in the ticket price.

Class will begin promptly at 10:00 AM in the kitchen at El Centro de la Raza. Classes typically take 2.5 to 3 hours long. All cooking supplies and ingredients will be provided, but please bring your own apron.

The money for the La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza Latin Cooking Classes go to fund El Centro de la Raza's Senior programs.

For updates on this event see
https://www.facebook.com/events/2404477662895760/